Western Collegiate Hockey Association
`It Feels Like Just Yesterday' to St. Cloud State Senior Standout Matt Hartman
Oct. 26, 2007
By Tom Reale - It was a moment that a kid growing up in St. Cloud as an SCSU hockey fan could only imagine in his wildest dreams.
"I'll never forget that game as long as I live," says senior Matt Hartman.
March 17, 2006 will go down as one of the greatest dates in the history of St. Cloud State hockey, and Matt Hartman wrote himself into those history books with an overtime winner, his second goal of the game, in front of 19,353 fans at the Xcel Energy Center - at the time, the largest crowd to ever watch a college hockey game in an enclosed arena - to upset the Minnesota Golden Gophers 8-7 at the Final Five.
"After I shot that puck, there were so many emotions at one time that it was hard to take in," says Hartman. "It never even really set in until a week or two afterwards. Everyone I knew was calling me, leaving congratulations and messages; it was such an unbelievable time."
The fact that the big win came against Minnesota just made it even more perfect.
"It was against the Gophers, and when you grow up in St. Cloud as a Husky fan, you grow up to just despise them with a passion. I went to the Final Five often as a kid, so being able to score the overtime goal like that is something special and I'll always take that with me."
That sophomore year experience was one of many local memories, however. Hartman has been part of the hockey scene in St. Cloud for over fifteen straight years.
"I picked up the game as a junior in squirts, so I was about seven when I started," he says.
Hartman attended Cathedral High School as a freshman before transferring to Apollo for his sophomore and junior years. As an Eagle, Hartman got the opportunity to play with and against other local stars who he would encounter down the road in college - as teammates and opponents alike.
"I played with (Minnesota's) Mike Howe at Apollo," he says, "We used to play against (Bemidji State's) Travis Winter and John Swanson at Tech and Nate Raduns and Ryan Peckskamp at Sauk Rapids. We had a pretty good group in this area around my age." This group also included recent graduates Chris Harrington (Minnesota) and Brandon Schwartz (Michigan Tech).
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"We used to all play together during the summers, so we got to know each other here in St. Cloud even before school and we've all stayed in contact pretty well over the years."
While others left the metro area to play Division I hockey, Hartman knew early on that he wanted to stay and play for his hometown team.
"We used to have season tickets, and I remember wearing my St. Cloud jersey to the rink every weekend, cheering for the team even back when I was a little guy."
"Even while I was being recruited by schools from all over the country, I still always wanted to go to St. Cloud," he says. "I grew up watching the Huskies play, so they were an obvious favorite. They were always one of the best programs in the country year-in and year-out. When Coach Dahl recruited me and offered me a scholarship, it was a dream come true. I'd wanted to be a Husky my whole life."
Hartman recounts the feeling of donning the `CST' for the first time as a player.
"It was something special, something I'll never forget. Standing in the tunnel before warm-ups that first game I remember being real nervous. It's a feeling you really can't explain. Every once in a while I just pinched myself so I could realize that it was actually happening."
Even to this day, Hartman says he has some of those same feelings return every once in a while - a feeling of wonder as he continues to live out his childhood dream.
"You get the chills right away when the lights go off for the introductions. Playing for the team I always dreamed about playing for is something I never want to take for granted. I appreciate every day I get to spend at the rink."
As he begins his senior year, the dream is soon to reach its conclusion, but Hartman isn't ready to stop just yet.
"I cannot believe that we've just started my fourth year here. It feels like just yesterday I was lacing up the skates for the first time and meeting everyone and moving into the dorms. It's almost done already and it's flown by so fast. People tell you early on that you need to appreciate everything you do and you don't believe them at first, but then you start to realize that time's flying by. You really do have to enjoy every second that you can while it lasts."
Last season, Hartman got the opportunity to experience the NCAA tournament for the first time.
"Going to the NCAAs is always a dream, but going to the WCHA Final Five is actually more of a thrill than playing in the national tournament. It's (the NCAAs) still something special, though. It was a great honor to be there last year, but we want to get back there this year and finally get this program over the hump and get that first win and go from there and hopefully get to the Frozen Four."
Seniors are usually expected to be leaders on any team, and Hartman gladly accepts the role. He clearly defines his personal goals and what he hopes for the team to achieve in his last year with the Huskies.
"So far this year I've been able to be in a role on the team that I haven't been in before. I want to contribute a little more offensively, and I want to do what I can to make us one of the best teams in the country on the penalty kill. My main goal right now, though, is to get back to the NCAA tournament, as an individual and as a team goal."
Hartman is a finance major, and he hopes to find work in the business world after he graduates.
"I'd like to work in the banking field," he says, "although I don't know exactly what I want to do after graduation. I find stocks and bonds and the whole financial industry pretty interesting stuff. Hopefully I'll have a good career after hockey. I'd like to keep playing after I graduate, but it's always hard to say what kind of opportunities are going to be available. I've always wanted to make sure I had something very solid to fall back on once I'm done with hockey."
Note: A native of St. Cloud, Minn., Hartman has two goals and one assist this season. In his career, Hartman has 22 goals and 18 assists as a Husky.